White Knight
by Astellya
Summary: Eleven checks in on a newly widowed Jackie Tyler and finds that she's in over her head.


**A/N: **So, I was sitting in my psychology class and this popped into my brain. I'm a big fan of Jackie Tyler—after all, it couldn't have been easy raising Rose on her own. I mean, she was so young and we never saw any sort of family for Jackie other than Rose and sort of Mickey later. Anyways, this is a story about how Jackie coped with raising Rose on her own and it costars the Eleventh Doctor. After all, I couldn't imagine him resisting the urge to at least check on Jackie once while Rose was a baby… So, this might be complete and utter rubbish, but hey. It was bugging me.

The Ponds were on vacation on a planet that was constantly in springtime. They were staying at a lovely villa on the water where they could walk through orchards of beautifully flowered trees, lie in soft grass, or swim in the local lake that was just warm enough to be enjoyable. And, since it was such a sickeningly romantic place, the Doctor had dropped them off with a credit stick and headed somewhere else. After all, this trip was long overdue…

He flicked a few switches and turned several dials, plotting his course silently. He set the dial for London, Earth, 1988 and he sighed. He really shouldn't… but, he was just going to check on her. No meddling. Absolutely zero meddling. He took a deep breath and dematerialized and shut his eyes, silently lecturing himself about non-interference. He landed almost too quickly and he scratched the back of his neck nervously before heading out of the TARDIS.

He had to fight the sad smile that threatened when he realized that he had materialized in the usual spot, a block from the Powell Estates. He fought back the wave of nostalgia that swept through his hearts as he determinedly headed down the dark street. Soft crying made him freeze in his tracks. Non-interference meant no big things like accidentally pushing Mickey down the stairs, he assured himself as he investigated. Something as small as checking on someone who was upset didn't count at all.

"Hello," he ventured when he spotted a young woman seated on the ground. She visibly flinched away from his voice and he crouched down a few feet away from her, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you," he promised, his voice kind and steady. "Are you hurt? Do you need help?"

She finally looked up at him and he felt both of his hearts stop for a terrifying moment. For just a brief, brief moment, he had seen Rose Tyler's face. He blinked and it was gone and he felt a wave of sickness wash over him. The woman's pretty face was marred by a fading black eye that she had desperately tried to cover in makeup and there was blood on her chin from a freshly split lip. Her blonde hair was mussed and her eye makeup had begun to run but there was no mistaking the woman that cowered before him. And it terrified him to no end that Jackie Tyler, the strong, brilliant woman who had raised the girl who would save him from the darkness, broken and hurt.

He resisted the urge to pull her into his arms, knowing that he would scare her off if he even tried to touch her. He felt anger flare up as he wondered who had done this to her and he looked around, searching the darkened alley for signs of life. "Are you alright?" he asked, finally finding his voice.

"I'm fine," she replied, sounding nothing like the strong Jackie he knew. Her voice was thick with tears and her lip bled a little more as she bit it instinctively out of fear.

"No you're not," he said with a small smile, still not making a move towards her. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

She shook her head violently, allowing her blonde hair to fall limply in front of her eyes. "I'm fine. L-leave me alone," she stammered, trying to get to her feet. It was then that he noticed her bare, bruised arms and the blood that dripped down her left elbow.

"You're not alright," he told her a little more firmly. "Listen, I'm a doctor. At least let me look at your arm. You don't want to get an infection." She had, by now, gotten to her feet and pressed herself against the rough brick wall.

"Prove it," she spat, blue eyes darting around for an escape.

He slowly reached into his pocket, trying his best not to startle her, and extracted his psychic paper. "See? John Smith, M.D. My hospital badge. At least let me walk you home."

She buried her head in her hands for a long moment, trying her best to compose herself, before finally nodding. "I'm Jackie," she offered weakly.

"Nice to meet you Jackie," the Doctor replied gently. "Now, let's get you home."

They walked side by side in silence as Jackie guided him towards her home. She kept shooting him worried glances, a little wary of allowing him to help her but it was better than the alternative; she would rather gamble with a stranger than wait for _him _to return. She unlocked her apartment door and she was greeted by the sound of little feet running towards her. A small, blonde two year old hugged her mother's legs tightly, grinning a smile that made the Doctor's hearts soar. Little Rose had enormous, innocent brown eyes that trained on him almost immediately, taking him in critically as Jackie spoke softly with the old woman who had babysat Rose.

"You look funny," Rose said, her voice a little difficult to understand. "Why're you wearin a bow?"

"It's a bowtie," he told her, crouching down to her level as the babysitter left. "Bowties are cool."

"Are you one of Mummy's new friends?" she asked innocently.

"Sort of. I won't be here long, though."

"I'm Rose," she said with a grin.

"I'm John."

"Hullo."

"Rose, dear, off to bed. I'll be in to tuck you in in a moment," Jackie said, trying to smile for Rose.

"You got another boo-boo, Mummy," Rose pointed out, tugging at her mother's hand. "You're hurt."

Jackie blinked back tears. "That's okay. John is a doctor. He'll make it better."

"Did Mark make the boo-boos, Mummy? He said that he made the other ones."

"What?" she breathed.

"He told me that you got them cause you were bad. He said that he would give me boo-boos if I was bad."

Jackie hugged her young daughter close, trying her best not to cry. "I won't let him touch you, sweet heart. I swear. Now, off to bed. I'll be in soon."

"Okay, Mummy," Rose agreed, heading to her room obediently.

"Do you want me to call anyone for you?" the Doctor asked.

"No, no… there's no one," Jackie replied with a sad smile. "Just me and Rose."

"Let's see your arm, then," he said, leading the way to the small kitchen. "Do you have a washcloth I can use?"

"Yeah," she handed him a clean facecloth and flinched when his hand touched hers. "Sorry," she muttered, looking away from him.

The Doctor gently washed Jackie's wound, fighting back his fury as he realized that the cut had been made by an old, rusty blade. There was no way that was an accident. He tried to avoid the bruises, both fresh and faded, that littered Jackie's arms so as not to hurt her as he gently cleaned all the grime out of the thankfully shallow wound. As he was finishing up, a sharp knock at the door startled Jackie so much that she backed into the sink.

"You have to leave!" she hissed frantically. "Or hide somewhere… Oh, god, if he finds you here…" He saw the beginnings of hysteria in her gaze as she pushed him towards Rose's room. "Stay in here with her. Please," she added when she noticed that he was about to protest. "I can't let him see you… Please!" This time there was a banging on the door that sounded very upset. "Stay here and be quiet!" she whispered as she shut the door.

"We have to be quiet," Rose told him gravely from where she sat on her bed, cuddling a stuffed dog. "He gets so mad…" The Doctor stood by the door, listening carefully to Jackie as he looked at Rose. She seemed too… old for a two year old. He supposed that she spent all her time with adults and, judging by the lack of toys, she didn't have much to entertain herself with, meaning that she had to use her imagination. Her mother had done a surprisingly good job at teaching her to speak; though her words were occasionally jumbled, she articulated herself well enough to be understood.

"I'll keep her safe," the Doctor promised, unable to bear the world-weary expression on the tiny human.

"Are you going to be her knight in shining armor?"

He smiled a little sadly. "Something like that."

"Jackie," he heard a man's voice growl. "I told you to answer on the first knock!"

"I'm so-sorry," Jackie stammered, her fear evident in her tone.

"And, who said you could come home? I told you, I was coming back. When I tell you to wait, _you wait!_" he roared, making Rose hide under her covers.

"I had to be back… Mrs. Garner can't watch her after nine—" _Smack! _The blow ran out through the tiny apartment.

"If I hear one more thing about the brat—"

"Don't talk about her that way!" The Doctor felt an ounce of hope; Jackie had always stood up for her daughter.

Complete silence followed Jackie's outburst before heavy footsteps pounded across the floor. "No! Don't! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!" Jackie cried desperately as the footsteps approached Rose's room.

The door swung open, smacking the Doctor in the jaw, and in strode a large, angry man. He stood about six feet tall and looked strong enough to crush Jackie easily. His dark eyes focused on the Doctor as the Time Lord tried to regain his balance. "You thought you would cheat on me?" the man roared, turning on Jackie. "With _this _man? He must be rich for you to be shagging him!"

"I've only just met hi—" The man, presumably Mark, raised a fist and punched Jackie, sending her careening into the wall, dazing her. He then turned on the Doctor who stood protectively in front of Rose, ready to sacrifice himself for her.

"A man who hits a woman in a deluded form of love isn't a real man," the Doctor taunted, barely containing his fury. How _dare _this man hurt Jackie and threaten his Rose?

"You think you're better than me?" Mark's voice boomed in the enclosed space.

"I know I'm better than you," the Doctor's voice was dangerously low and anyone who had known him would have known that it was a terrible idea to mess with him at this moment.

The man sneered and raised his fist, striking the Doctor in the face. The Doctor staggered but kept his balance. "I'm giving you one chance," the Doctor held up a finger. "Just this one. Leave. Now. Or, I'll make you leave. It's your choice."

"Am I supposed to be afraid of you?"

The Doctor smiled a wicked smile. "Yes."

The man snorted and moved to attack again. The Doctor easily dodged and used the man's own momentum to send him head first into a lamp. The man growled and turned, charging again. The Doctor kneed him in the stomach before shoving him to the floor where he landed with a sickening crash. "Run!" the Doctor said as the man staggered to his feet. The man looked over at the Doctor and saw the endless fury in his eyes and he ran, terrified of the man who could have easily wiped him out of existence.

Jackie stood frozen as her boyfriend fled from her home, moving only when she heard Rose crying. She ran to her daughter, picking up the quaking bundle and crying with her. She looked fearfully up at the Doctor, relaxing a little when she saw that his anger was replaced with concern. "Are you alright?" he asked gently.

"I'm fine, thanks to you. Oh, thank you, John… I don't know how to repay you…" She gently placed Rose back on the bed and stood, grabbing the Doctor by his tweed lapels and kissing him thoroughly, giving him a taste of what his "reward" could be.

"Um, yes," he said, nervously scratching his head. "Um, see, I'm not um," he tried to tread carefully, trying his best not to offend her. "I like men," he blurted. He saw the confusion in her eyes and quickly clarified, "I only sleep with men. Always have. Always will. But, happy to lend a hand!"

"Thank you," she said, hugging him gently. "I-I don't know what…"

"Hush, Jackie. You don't have to say anything. Helping people is what I do."

"You're a brilliant doctor," she said with a tearful smile.

Rose tugged on his hand gently so he leaned down to look her in the eye. "Thank you, John," she told him with very serious brown eyes. "Thank you for getting rid of the monster," she added in a whisper.

"Anytime, Rose. If you ever get scared, remember that I'll always get rid of the monsters." She nodded and hugged him, wrapping her tiny frame around him.

"I'd better get going," he told Jackie regretfully. There was nothing he would rather do than stay, but he really couldn't stay for much longer without distorting the timelines. And, he never, _ever _wanted to change anything about his travels with Rose. "I have an early shift."

"Thank you so much, John," Jackie repeated, hugging him once more. "You have no idea how grateful I am… for Rose more than myself."

"You're a fantastic mother. Don't forget that, Jackie," he told her before patting Rose's head once more. He turned on his heal and left, catching just one more comment from Rose.

"Is he our knight in shining armor, Mummy?"

"Definitely."

**A/N: **There it is! 2300 words. All in one go, no distractions. This may be terrible, but I somehow needed to write it. I was planning on making this a multi-chapter fic, but it just sort of worked itself out. I was planning on having the Doctor stick around as a friend for Jackie as she coped… but, I suppose I could still add more later. Anyways, thanks for reading and please drop a review to tell me if you want me to add more or do a version with Eleven, Rose, and Jimmy Stone.


End file.
